Shoe.



N. G. SHAW.

SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. |917.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

@EN STATES PATENT FFQE.

NATHANIEL Gr. SHAW, OF WEST BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE- HALF T0 GEO. E. KEITH COMPANY, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE.

apeemoation et Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.. t9, QS.

.application filed November 26, 1917. Serial No. 203,879.

To all lwhom t may concern Be it known that I, NATHANIEL Gr. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Bridgewater, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts,'have invented new and useful lmprovements in Shoes, of 'which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to prevent the outer side portion of the vamp of a shoe from acquiring a bulging deformation between the usual sti'ened heel and toe portions which are stifened respectively by a heel counter and a box toe which for convenience l call the end stifl'eners.

lt is well known 'that the outer side portion of the vamp between the end sti'eners is liable to greater bulging deformation than the inner side, such deformation imparting an untidy appearance to the shoe. lt is not practicable to prevent this deformation by stiening the entire region of the outer side portion of the vamp between the end sti'- eners, because certain bones of the foot require, for the comfort of the wearer, flexibility of the corresponding portions of the vamp. have discovered that by stiii'ening a limited portion of the outer side of the vamp, or that portion which corresponds in osition to the center of the fifth metatarsal one, and leaving iiexible unstiiened portions at the rear and front of the stiiened portion, deformation of the louter side of the vamp may be prevented without discomfort to the wearer of the shoe.

My invention is embodied in a shoe having a side stiflener within the outer side portion of the vamp and engaged with the .inner sole oi.3 the shoe, said stiener being located between and spaced from the usual heel and toe stieners, so that the vamp has Hexible unstiiened portions between the side stiener and the sti'ened heel and toe portions, said side sti'ener being adapted to prevent deformation of the outer side portion of the vamp between the heel and toe stieners.

@i the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specicatiom- Figure 1 is a perspective view of .a shoe embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. ,3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a diierent embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the side by cooling.

sti'ener and the means for engaging it with the inner sole represented by Fig. 3. The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In carrying out my invention as illustrated by Figs. 1 and ,2, ll provide a side stii'ener 12 located within the outer side portion of the lvamp 13 and interposed between the Vamp and the lining 14. The lower edge of the sti'ener is engaged with the inner sole 15 by some of the inseam stitches 16 which secure the vamp to the inner sole and to the usual welt 17.

The stiiiener is located between and spaced from the usual end stiffeners, namely, the heel stili'ener or counter 18, and the stiffener within the box toe 19. rlhe form and location of the side stiffener 12 are such that the vamp has ilexible'unstitlened 'portions between the stiiener 12 and the end stiii'eners, the area of the' stiener 12 being such that it is adapted to cover substantially the outer side of the foot at the region of the center of the ifth metatarsal bone. The flexible unstiii'ened portions of the upper at opposite ends of the stiffener 12 are adapted to bear on bony portions of the foot behind and in front of the center of the fthkmetatarsal bone, so that the. shoe may be worn without discomfort to the wearer by the stiffener 12.

ln this embodiment of the invention the stiti'ener is necessarily penetrablev by the needle of a sewing-machine, which forms the inseam stitches, and its` construction is such that it is capable of being softened and rendered exible prior to the lasting and stitching operations, and of subsequently becoming relativel hard and rigid. Whlle the sti ener 12 may be made of sole leather and adapted to be softened by moisture, and to subsequently become relatively stl by drying, l prefer to make the stiHener of brous material, such as textile fabric, or felt, and treated with a composition adapted to be softened by a solvent, or by heat, and to become relatively hard and rigld by drylng or cooling. For example, the stiener 12 may be made from a. blank of textlle fabric, impregnated with a solution containing asphalt, montane wax, or other material, adapted to be softened by a suicient degree of heat and to become hard rigs. e and i illustra@ an embodiment, in

which the stiffen'er 12a is made of material such as sheet metal,4 and is provided with a shank 19 adapted to bear on the upper side of the inner sole 15, and to be suitably engaged with the inner sole. For example, the shank may be provided at one end with a hook 20 adapted to take over one edge of the inner sole, and with a spur 21 adapted to penetrate a portion of the inner sole. In this case the stifener bears on the inner side of the lining 14.

The rear' and front extremities of the fifth metatarsal bone are nearer the side surface of the foot than the central portion of said bone. `The regions of the foot where said rear and front extremities are located, are the regions which require exibility of the corresponding portions of thel vamp. The region of the foot where the central portion of the fifth metatarsal bone is located is not rendered/uncomfortable by a stiffener in the corresponding portion of the vamp. The stiffener 12 should therefore be of such form and size and should be so arranged that it will stifen that portion of the vamp which coincides with the central portion of the fifth metatarsal bone, without stifi'ening the portions which coincide with the rear and front extremities of said bone.

I claim:

1. Ashoe having a side stiffener Within the outer side portion 0f the vamp and engaged with the inner sole `of the shoe, said stienerbeing located between and spaced from the usual heel and toe stiffeners, so that the vamp has flexible unstiened portions between the side stiffener and the stii'ened heel and toe portions, said side stifi'ener being adapted to prevent deformation of the Lamaze outer side portion of the vamp between the heel and toe stiffeners.

2. As an article of manufacture, a side stiener for shoes comprising a body formed of substantiall fiat material shaped to conform to the si e 'of the footand adapted to internally. support a portion of the outer side of a shoe vamp between and spaced from the toe and the heel stifeners thereof, said body having means engageable with the inner sole to retain it in position.

3. As an article of manufacture, a side stiifener for shoes comprising a body formed of substantially flat material shaped-to conform to the side of the foot and adapted to internally support a portion of the outer side of a shoe vamp between and spaced from the toe and the heel stiffeners thereof, and a shank extending from said body to lie across the inner sole ,and provided with means to engage said inner sole to retain said body in position.

4. As an article of manufacture, a side stiifener for shoes comprising a body formed of substantially fiat material shaped to conform to the side of the foot and adapted to internally support a portion of the outer side of the shoe vamp between and spaced from the toe and the heel stiffeners thereof, and a shank extending from said body to lie across the inner sole, said shank having a free end bent to form a hook portion engageable with a portion of said sole and having a penetrating projection thereon to retain the body in position.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

NATHANIEL G. SHAW. 

